1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an elongated work assembling method and system for assembling an elongated work having flexibility to a receive body and, more specifically, to a technique suitably applied to an elongated work having flexibility such as bumpers, side laces, a rear trunk lace, a decoration garnish, and the like for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a technique for assembling, e.g., front and rear bumpers as elongated works to the front and rear portions of a vehicle body, various proposals have been made to improve work efficiency, and to improve positioning precision of attaching positions. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 63-2780 discloses the following technique. That is, bumper jigs for clamping a bumper comprise nut runners, and the bumper satisfactorily clamped through the nut runners is attached to a vehicle body.
This disclosure will be described in detail below. A set table for placing a bumper and attaching bolts at predetermined positions, and a robot attached with jigs for clamping the bumper at its operating end are arranged beside a bumper fastening station of a vehicle assembling line. Each jig has a bumper receiver for gripping a bumper, a chucking pad, and a nut runner. A bumper placed on the set table and the attaching bolts are simultaneously received in a single operation, and the bumper is attached in a state wherein the bumper is aligned with the bumper attaching portion of the vehicle body.
When a work to be attached to a vehicle body is an elongated work such as a bumper, and the elongated work supported by jigs attached to an arm of a robot is to be aligned with the work attaching portion of a vehicle body, a plurality of reference pins or reference holes are set to match with the central positions of a plurality of reference holes or reference pins, and are then engaged with each other. Thereafter, the elongated work is attached and fastened to the work mounting portion of the vehicle body.